The More Things Change
by Woodrow Graham Kenobi-Rimmer
Summary: After losing everyone she cares about Claire calls the one person who could possibly understand how she feels, only to discover something she should have realized all along. Don't own Heroes.


Claire felt very alone. It wasn't that she hadn't had or didn't have friends; she'd had many friends by this time. After living almost past the maximum duration of an average human life she began to feel loneliness creeping up on her. She had never fully realized what the word lonely meant before she attended the funeral of her brother, posing as a friend of his youngest granddaughter. After that, the only person she had to spend time with was Sylar, or Gabriel as he preferred to be called by that time. She knew he loved her, perhaps even profoundly loved her, but she could never muster such affection for him. She wasn't able to completely forget what he'd been even if she had forgiven him. Still, despite their past, after Lyle's death she contacted him if only to have someone to talk to about the past. It was strange how someone who had caused so much pain could suddenly become a greatly appreciated link to a long gone life.

It had been a month since Lyle's death in the year of 2081, it was May and the forests in Glacier Montana were elfish hues of green and every wild animal seemed to have a baby. She wandered aimlessly on through the preserved habitat, not bothering to stick to the trails since a bear attack wouldn't make any difference in the long run, except for maybe to the well-being of her clothes, and doing things out the ordinary no longer disturbed her. She accepted that her life had never been and would never be, "normal". For some reason that stray thought made her think of Sylar, no, _Gabriel._ He had been a changed man since that fateful day that Peter had rescued him from Parkman's basement and Samuel had buried her in a souvenir trailer. Gabriel had despised being normal and even after he became a good person again, he still reveled in participating in any heroic act that involved using his abilities, just as Peter had. Peter… She was still mad at him on some level for making her let him die. Gabriel was her only link now, to an exciting if stressful, life. He had expressed his terrible guilt in his treatment of her and his undying love for her, all those years ago… He had given her his phone number though she didn't want it and sent her a text every time it changed. Claire likewise, would always inform him of her current contact information and never lost his. She never talked to him but somehow, it made her feel better to know that if she did need him, he was there. That, obviously, was the reason he had insisted upon this in the first place. Now, realizing that for the first time in over sixty years she wanted to talk to him, she pulled out her tiny thin phone and found his number. She hesitated only a few seconds before selecting his name on the touch screen and raising the phone to her ear.

He answered almost immediately. "Claire! Is that you? Are you okay?"

Claire smiled at his surprise; it _had_ been a long time. "Hi, Gabriel, I'm fine I just…can you still fly?"

"Yes, do you want me to come see you now?" His tone was rank with excitement.

"Only if you're not too busy." Claire said as it occurred to her that he might have a life of his own.

He laughed. "Not too busy to talk to a friend. Where are you?"

"Glacier National Park, Montana…I'm not sure if you'll be able to spot me through the trees though."

"Don't worry, I have my ways. I'll be there soon…and Claire?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you called."

She shocked herself as she felt her smile widen. "Me too."

Claire clicked off her phone and sat on a log. She liked this area, she decided, it was so green and secluded.

She stared up at the sunshine that warmed her whole body. It was only about ten minutes later when he landed in front of her, sliding in and getting his shoes muddy in the process. He immediately walked over and sat next to her, maintaining a safe distance. It had been awhile but he assumed she still had mean precision with a hidden pencil.

Claire turned to look at him, already feeling less lonely. He hadn't changed at all, physically or in his garb, but somehow he was more attractive than he had ever been before. There was no hidden menace in his countenance and he was giving her a very genuine smile that made _her smile_ grow even broader. She knew it was strange that they were just looking at each other and not speaking but she didn't know how to say what she wanted to say; that she had missed him now and then, that she was proud of him for changing, that she was still mad at him, that she would never completely forgive him, that she had always secretly found him attractive and that she was indescribably thankful that he was here with her now. She had a lot of pride and it seemed like saying it would be admitting defeat somehow. She looked into his brown orbs and knew she saw something apart from happiness at seeing an old friend; he still loved her and he still _wanted _her. Claire knew then that she wanted him too and even if she didn't want to admit it to herself, probably felt something similar to affection towards him. Knowing that she had forever to regret the decision, Claire leaned into close the gap between them and kiss him on the cheek as an act of goodwill. Gabriel turned his head to catch her lips with his and Claire kissed him back, filling to the brim with a joy she hadn't felt in years. She was never alone, not really.

She and Gabriel started spending most of their time together and after a few months they moved in together. They had crazy ravenous sex and made love in the most tender of fashions. He bored her with his knowledge of literature, timepieces, genetics, human nature and pretty much everything else and she bored him with her reminisces about the past. It didn't really matter where they were or what they were doing; they had something to cling to that wouldn't just disappear one day or slowly fade away. She hadn't realized it before, but it was all they had ever really needed. Although they couldn't die, they had saved each others lives, in so many ways…

* * *

**Author's Note: Cheesy I suppose but, I feel, appropriate. Tell me what you think!**


End file.
